Bicameral Statement of Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism on Fourth Anniversary of Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06), Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK), co-chairs of the House and Senate Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism, respectively, released the following statement on the fourth anniversary of the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The FBI found that antisemitic hate crimes rose by six percent in 2020, representing the highest total in twelve years and constituting 60 percent of all incidents based on religion.

"Today, we remember and honor the legacy of the eleven people who were murdered four years ago while worshiping at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the deadliest antisemitic attack in the history of the United States," said the co-chairs. "Unfortunately, this attack was not an isolated incident -- Jewish Americans are increasingly the targets of antisemitic harassment, vandalism, and violent assaults. At a time of heightened fear and anxiety for the Jewish community -- when celebrities and emboldened extremist groups are increasingly spewing virulent antisemitism openly -- let us recommit today to rejecting and condemning antisemitism in all its forms so that no other community has to ever experience a similar tragedy."

The House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism was founded by former Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) in 2015 and has grown to over 100 members. The Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism was founded by Senators Rosen and Lankford in 2019 with the objective of eliminating antisemitism in the United States and around the world. Its membership includes more than half the U.S. Senate.

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